Artificial fish lure



IFF

July l0, 1956 A. sPoRKET 2,753,649

ARTIFICIAL FISH LURE Filed Aug. 3, 1953 INVENTOR.

"E Il 8' BY /er/ Spor/ef ARTIFICIAL FISH LURE Albert Sporket, Detroit,Mich.

Application August 3, 1953, Serial No. 371,955

1 Claim. (Cl. 43--42.5)

This invention relates to artificial fish lures.

One object of this invention is to provide an artificial fish lurehaving a trough-shaped or channel-shaped configuration with an arcuatelongitudinal shape which not only gives a fish-like swimming motion whendrawn through the water but also provides a strong and durable supportfor the attachment of the hooks.

Another object is to provide an artificial fish lure of the foregoingcharacter which is easily and inexpensively made from bending sheetmetal or from plastic molding operations and which, although simulatingthe appearance of a fish, has a very light weight in comparison with theapparent solid construction of the body of the fish lure when viewedfrom the top or sides thereof.

Another object is to provide an artificial fish lure of the foregoingcharacter having an integral headpiece or vane, not only for simulatingthe appearance of the head of a fish but also for imparting a superiorswimming and diving action to the fish lure while it is being drawnthrough the water.

Another' object is to provide an artificial fish lure of the foregoingcharacter having an improved and adjustable means for the attachment ofthe fish line to the lure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of anartificial fish lure according to one form of the invention;

Figure 2 Figure l;

Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the fish lure shown in Figures land 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section taken at the line 4 in Figure l,showing the channel cross-section thereof;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary inclined cross-section taken at the inclinedline --S in Figure l, showing the line attachment means;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken through theheadpiece or vane at the inclined line 6--6 in Figure l, showing theconfiguration and reinforcing rib thereof;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary approximately top plan view, in aninclined direction, of a portion of the headpiece showing a modificationwith an adjustable line attachment means;

Figure 8 is a cross-section taken at the line 8--8 in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken at the line 9--9 inFigure 7; and

Figure l() is a detail perspective View of the adjustable lineattachment eye used in the modification of Figures '7, 8 and 9.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures l to 3 inclusive show anartificial fish lure, generally designated 1d, according to one form ofthe invention as consisting generally of a body 12 of bent sheetmaterial, such as sheet metal or of molded material, such as syntheticis a top plan View of the 'fish lure shown in "nited States Patent 'iceplastic material, equipped with a side hook assembly, generallydesignated 14, and a rearward hook unit 16. The body 12 has a mainportion 17 of channel-shaped crosssection (Figure 4) with slightlydivergent side flanges 13 and a bottom portion or web portion 20 ofarcuate crosssection both longitudinally and transversely (Figures l andll). The upper edges 22 of the side flanges 18 are provided with one ormore upwardly-projecting fins 24, 2S (two being shown) and. taperdownwardly substantially to points at their opposite ends 26, 27. Therearward end 31 of the bottom portion 20 is provided with an aperture 28for receiving the attachment ring 30 by which the rearward hook unit 16is secured thereto. The forward end of the main body portion 17 isprovided with a widened head portion or vane 32 extending downwardly atan acute angle to the tangent drawn to the arc of the bottom portion 20(Figure l), and assisting in the swimming and diving action of the fishlure, as well as simulating the appearance of a fish head.

To strengthen the connection between the head portion 32 and the mainbody portion 17, there is provided a rib 34 extending along the bottom2t) of the body and downwardly along the head portion 32. The headportion 32 is also provided with struck-up knubs 36 simulating the eyesof a fish. The head portion 32 is shaped approximately like an arrowhead, with the eyes 36 located at the rounded corners of the widestportion dfi and the rib 34 extending downwardly to the rounded point t2thereof. The head portion 32 at its junction 44 with the main bodyportion 17 is provided with a hole 46 in the rib 34. lnserted in thehole 46 (Figure 5) is a line attachment eye i8 of approximately theshape of a Greek letter omega, in that it has a major annular portionSti with portions 52 bent toward one another to form a neck portion, andwith the end 54 bent outwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the edgeof the hole 46 to secure the line attachment eye Si in the hole 46. Thefact that the hole lo is formed in the rib 34' causes the ends 54 of theeye ad to engage the head portion 32 at a location spaced apart from andbelow the point of engagement of the annular portion 50 with the edgesof the hole 46, thereby giving a stronger leverage and purchase of theeye 48 upon the body 12 than it would otherwise have if the hole 46 wereformed in a flat piece of material.

The opposite side lianges 13 of the main body portion 17 are providedwith approximately aligned holes 56 for the passage of the halves 59 ofa cross rod or Outrigger 58, the Outrigger halves 59 consisting of twooppositelybent rods having their inner end portions inserted through thehole 56 and overlapped side by side: in the space between the sideflanges 18. The Outrigger halves 59 have their outer ends bent into eyesas at titl for receiving the side hook units 62. The rear and side hookunits 16 and 62 are of conventional construction and may be either thetreble hooks shown or single hooks, as desired. The halves 59 of theoutrigger 5S have their end portions 64 bent downwardly toward the eyes6d (Figure 3) in order to increase the stability of hang of the sidehook assembly, generally designated 66, and consisting of the outrigger58, the two hook units 62 on the opposite ends thereof, and a tubularcoupling member 68 which is crimped as at 70 to clamp the opposite innerend portions '72 of the Outrigger halves 59 against one another in theiroverlapping position (Figure 3). ln order to facilitate parallelism ofthe overlapped end portions 72, their respective holes 56 are offsetlaterally relatively to one another by a distance equal to the thicknessof one of the end portions 72 (Figure 3).

The modified line attachment construction, generally designated (Figures7 to l0 inclusive) consists generally of the modified head 'portion S2corresponding generally to the head portion 52 but having an aperture 84of slightly different construction, and a line attachment eye 86corresponding generally to the line attachment eye 48 but likewisediffering somewhat in detail. The line attachment eye S6 is also ofapproximately theshape of a Green letter omega consisting of aninterrupted approximately annular portion 90, inwardly-bent portions 92forming a narrow neck, and arms 94 bent outwardly in opposite directionsfrom the inwardly-bent portions 92. Notches 96 are formed in oppositeedges of the inwardlybent or neck portions (Figure The aperture 84,nstead of being approximately circular as is the aperture 46, iselongated, with an end portion 100 of maximum width sufiicient forreceiving the entire width of the ends 94 of the eye 36, and a pluralityof narrow width portions 102 separated from one another by stillnarrower connecting portions 104. The portions 102 of intermediate widthserve to receive the sides of the neck portion 92 of the eye 86 with thenotches 96 engaging the edges of the aperture portions 102 (Figure 9).

In the operation of the invention, the fisherman attaches a iishing lineto the line attachment eye 48 or 86, as the case may be, preferably withthe use of a conventional swivel therebetween. The fisherman uses thefish lure 10 by casting or trolling in the manner customarily used withother fish lures, the fish lure 10 moving along in a manner closelysimulating a swimming fish. 1f the fisherman wishes to change the divingor darting characteristics of the fish lure 10, he holds the main bodyportion 17 in one hand and bends the head portion 32 relatively to it bythe use of the fingers of the other hand, until by trial and error heobtains the effect he desires. The channel-shaped construction of themain body portion 17 gives it great strength and rigidity, yet has theappearance of a solid fish when viewed from above, below or from eitherside. When a fish strikes at the rear hook unit or either of the sidehook units 62, it is firmly held because of the strong construction ofthe fish lure. At the same time, however, the Outrigger 58 suspends theside hooks 62 at locations where they cannot interfere with each other,with the rear hook unit 16 or with any portion of the body 12.

In the operation of the modified construction 80 (shown in Figures 7 to10 inclusive), to adjust the position of the line attachment eye 86lengthwise along the notched elongated aperture 84, the operatorsqueezes the neck portions 92 or the end portions 94 together, narrowingthe combined width thereof so that they can be slipped through thenarrow slot 104 between the notches or widened portions 102. The lineattachment eye 86 may therefore be moved from one notch to another ofthe notches 102, and, when released, its neck portions 92 springoutward, due to the resilience of the material of the eye 86 and engagethe sides of the notch 102, with the notches 96 in the eye 86 engagingthe ends of the notches 102. lf, however, the operator wishes to removethe eye 86 entirely, he moves it to the end of the elongated steppedaperture 84 into the space 100 of maximum width, which is sufficientlywide to permit removal of the eye 86 by withdrawing its end portions 94through the aperture portion 100. In this manner, the point ofattachment of the line can be varied, and the action of the sh lure inmoving through the water accordingly varied.

What I claim is:

An artificial fish lure comprising an elongated lure body of sheetmaterial and of channel cross-section with laterally-spaced upstandingside flanges extending therealong, said side lianges havingtransversely-directed holes therethrough disposed in approximatealignment but oiset slightly relatively to one another, an outriggcrincluding two wire Outrigger halves mounted in said holes with theirinner end portions disposed side-by-side in the space between saidflanges in substantially parallel overlapping relationship, and clampingmeans securing the overlapping inner end portions of said Outriggerhalves tightly to one another, said holes being offset a distance equalapproximately to the thickness of one of said Outrigger halves; saidOutrigger halves having their outer end portions extending outwardlybeyond said fianges; fish hooks connected to the outer ends of saidOutrigger halves, and line attachment means secured to said body remotefrom said Outrigger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS xndl

